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One macOS desktop as master, 2 mobile devices - can't add iCloud sync on 2nd macOS desktop

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seannabhad

11 Jun, 2023 10:29 AM

Curious behaviour.
I had Dropbox set up as the sync. mechanism when using an iMac and an old MacBook Air. Dropbox I think was limited to 2 desktop machines.
Acquired a new MacBook Air and tried to move to iCloud sync. iMac desktop is working, along with iPhone and iPad.

Each time I try to set up Sync (New File) on new MBA, I don't get the correct prompt when select iCloud. The other mechanisms do work. When I do initiate a sync, it seems to take me back to a point in last year (2022).

I'll see if I can attach screen grabs. Is there additional permissions I need to set? Version of MD is the same across the two desktops (2023.1).

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• Screenshot_2023-06-11_at_11.28.25.png 325 KB

1. 1 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 11 Jun, 2023 11:35 AM

   

   What’s wrong with the screen prompts?

   Are you saying it connects, but is old data, or doesn’t connect?

   Grab help/console and upload that.

   My guess is that you have the devices logged into iCloud using different appleids. Try this. Use iCloud Drive and save a file. Can you see that on all devices?

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2. 2 Posted by seannabhad on 11 Jun, 2023 12:05 PM

   

   1/ When I select Dropbox Folder or Connection, or Shared Folder, the helper text below reflects that. When I select iCould Drive, it remains at 'last selected element in dropdown' - no prompt suggests iCloud is being used.

   2/ That's a second issue - it seems to be old data and I'm trying to track down the origin of that data. I'm not sure where it's stored on iCloud.

   3/ I'm not sure -- I'm pretty certain they're the same AppleID, as I can see iCloud Drive looks pretty much same from both desktops. But I'll double check. Yes, iCloud Drive itself is sync'ed. I'm just not sure where the old data is being restored from if it is iCloud.

   I've given it 45 minutes to sync completely but it's def. old data. The mobile devices can see it.

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3. 3 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 11 Jun, 2023 12:19 PM

   

   And help/console?

   Also, go into Mac settings and enable iCloud Drive for moneydance.

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4. 4 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 11 Jun, 2023 12:19 PM

   

   And. In MD launch toolbox. Click open md folder (top right) open sync folder. Does the iCloud folder open?

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5. 5 Posted by seannabhad on 11 Jun, 2023 12:33 PM

   

   a/ help/console - ah, Moneydance top level "Help" - I'll check. Thanks you.
   Stuff about "Couldn't find account based on legacy id or uuid, using fallback account." That is strange. Apple ID logged in but not logged in?

   b/ "Help" - just shows "Open Documents Folder" - is that what you'd expect? No ,mention of Sync in the master MD application on iMac. It opens the deep rooted mondeydance folder (username/Container...) Although it is set to iCloud Sync and the mobile devices act as slaves to that.

   How odd.

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6. 6 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 11 Jun, 2023 12:49 PM

   

   A). Please upload the contents of help/console here. Attach it as a file.

   B). Extensions. Manage extensions. Toolbox. Install. Then extensions, toolbox. In toolbox. Top right. Open MD folder.

   In fact install toolbox first, then try to install sync again. Then grab help/console and upload contents here.

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7. 7 Posted by seannabhad on 11 Jun, 2023 02:10 PM

   

   Thank you.
   I wasn't aware of Toolbox.

   ... I signed out, and back in again, to my Apple ID account and now iCloud Drive is not showing in the Sync dropdown options. Which may be both the cause of the issues, and a further avenue to track down.

   There's clearly something awry with iCloud in the final analysis.

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8. 8 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 11 Jun, 2023 02:15 PM

   

   Yup. Get iCloud working first outside of MD before trying to use MD….

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9. 9 Posted by seannabhad on 11 Jun, 2023 02:33 PM

   

   To be fair, it *is* working on the other machine, was offered as option on this MBA this morning, and is otherwise working in respect of file sharing.

   So it's possibly in the depths of MD and iCloud / apple ID.

   I've downloaded the Console file, and will post it up here shortly.

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10. 10 Posted by seannabhad on 11 Jun, 2023 03:05 PM

    

    Here's the console log in question.
    If there's stuff in the Toolbox that will help, I can attach that too.

    Off to retry on the old MBA to triangulate what the problem seems to be.

    • Mondeydance_console 13.9 KB
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11. 11 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 11 Jun, 2023 03:20 PM

    

    Well this error isn’t good:

    Exception in thread "TIKSync async thread" java.lang.IllegalMonitorStateException
        at java.base/java.util.concurrent.locks.AbstractQueuedSynchronizer$ConditionObject.enableWait(Unknown Source)
        at java.base/java.util.concurrent.locks.AbstractQueuedSynchronizer$ConditionObject.await(Unknown Source)
        at com.infinitekind.tiksync.Syncer$SyncThread.run(Syncer.kt:708)
    

    Ok. Your iCloud sync path is:
    

    /Users/callum/Library/Mobile Documents/iCloud~com~infinitekind~moneydancesync
    

    In terminal try the command:
    open
    Followed by the path above wrapped in “quotes”. Does it open? What’s in there?

    Anyway, it does seem that it’s finding a sync folder and setting up a new MD dataset from that (rather than pushing your dataset to it.

    Can you clarify which machine is the master? If you are adding this machine as a sync copy to another, then the correct path is file/new/open sync copy. Is that what you are doing?

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12. 12 Posted by seannabhad on 11 Jun, 2023 03:42 PM

    

    Ok. That all makes sense.
    There is a confusion (within MD I would think) as to whether I am connected to iCloud Drive or Dropbox.
    I'll attach screenshot about the File >> Syncing prompt - it says one thing and points to another.

    On the second - file location - point, it is pointing to a location, 'sync' -- but it's within iCloud Drive // Moneydance folder, which doesn't seem to exist..
    Another screenshot incoming.

    The 'master' machine is an iMac desktop -- and one way or another, the mobile devices sync to that quite comfortably. The secondary desktops, both MacBook Airs, when I execute a "Show Welcome Screen" and "Create New" (from a sync location) get themselves tied in knots.

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    • Screenshot_2023-06-11_at_16.24.07.png 216 KB
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13. 13 Posted by seannabhad on 11 Jun, 2023 04:40 PM

    

    I'm not sure what the issue is, quite a few things don't make sense (and I've probably contributed to the confusion in the system).

    I currently have my documents synced anyway across Documents using iCloud - not sure of the impact of that on the issue. Not sure how then to sync with my mobile devices if I have that set up. I imagine I could / need to have the moneydance data file set outside of 'Documents'.

    It might be best to uninstall and reinstall - happy to do that (with the requisite backups in place).

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14. 14 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 12 Jun, 2023 06:21 AM

    

    Uninstalling won't make any difference. This is about your sync/iCloud setup..

    Your iCloud location looks fine.... I was hoping you would expand the sync folder and look in there.... anyway...

    If it were me I would be blowing away sync completely and starting again..... doing this.......

    • BACKUP FIRST.

    • On all devices try and stop/disable/turn off sync, then quit MD.

    • On what you consider to be your primary/master dataset (would this be your iMac or old MacBook Air? For the purposes of these instructions I will assume iMac, but you can adjust these instructions accordingly), launch toolbox. We need to ensure that MD thinks it's a primary sync device... Do you get a warning about it being a secondary device? If yes, then enable update mode and click the "promote to primary" button. If not, then does "Dataset is a Master / PRIMARY sync node" appear in the text half way down the toolbox screen? If so, then great... Now, in toolbox, enable update mode, then advanced menu, then Force RESET Sync settings.. This kills sync... Manually QUIT and restart MD, then re-launch toolbox... Halfway down the toolbox screen you will see something like this:

      Dataset internal UUID: 4f4489ae-10f6-155b-a449-9d361f5c3bb6
      

      Grab this number and save it somewhere....

    • On the other non-primary machine(s) perform the same Force reset sync settings and then quit MD. You can make a note of their UUIDs if you like, but you must remember the primary above uuid for later..... Make sure all other non-primary machines have MD closed.

    • Now setup iCloud Sync on the primary iMac... Wait a few mins, restart MD.

    • Now launch toolbox again, top right, open MD folder, open sync folder. You should be inside the special hidden iCloud sync folder.. Expand the folder.. Do you see multiple sub folders with looooooong names (like the ID you saved above)? If so, then DELETE/rename the ones that are NOT the uuid you saved. Keep the one with the saved UUID.

    • Now on your new MacBook Air, launch MD and do the file/new/open sync copy procedure... Did this work? Check your data. If so, continue.. If not, stop and shout.

    • If all is OK, then launch the mobile app and again configure sync.

    • If you like, then repeat on your old MacBook Air....

    ???

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15. 15 Posted by seannabhad on 13 Jun, 2023 08:40 AM

    

    Bit of a hiatus yesterday while I got on with other tasks - and should have updated yesterday but ran out of time.

    Anyway - cut to the chase - I did indeed backup the main dataset, and restore - to an area outside iCloud. Logged out of MD across devices, and followed steps as described.

    Long story cut short -- all looks much better, will ran a couple more test transactions across devices but touch wood - looks stable across the iCloud Sync.

    Thanks Stuart. I'll refer to Toolbox more often.

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16. 16 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 13 Jun, 2023 09:51 AM

    

    👍 Toolbox 🧰 +1 😃
    (Yup, it’s magic!)

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17. System closed this discussion on 12 Sep, 2023 10:00 AM.